Award-winning Hambledon Productions will be recreating a trio of lost TV episodes of the British sitcom classic Hancock’s Half Hour, written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
What is Hancock’s Half Hour
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Hancock’s Half Hour was first broadcast on BBC Radio between 1954 and 1959; running for 107 episodes. It transferred to television in 1956, running for 63 episodes. It starred Hancock as an exaggerated and poorer version of himself. The cast included Tony Hancock, Sidney James, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams
However, 26 episodes of the TV version are missing, believed wiped, from the BBC archives.
Who are Hambledon Productions?
Established in 2007 by John and Rachael Hewer, Hambledon Productions is a Lincolnshire-based professional Theatre company. The production company specialises in classic comedy and new writing. Their other productions have included Just Like That! The Tommy Cooper Show and The Steptoe and Son Radio Show.
About the Production
Hambledon Productions were pioneers in reviving the Hancock series when, in 2012, after meeting Galton and Simpson at an event at the BFI, John was granted permission to adapt two ‘lost’ episodes for the stage.
“That production opened the floodgates to some extent; the BBC have now re-recorded all the missing Hancock radio series, and we’ve also staged lost Steptoe and Son sketches and Spike Milligan material,” says John Hewer.
John says: “The audiences come in droves because, like any kind of a tribute act, it promises a mixture of nostalgia, and a wonderful feeling of connectedness that comes from sharing a mutual affection for something. The productions that I’ve either seen or been a part of all come from a “good place”. They are staged by like-minded, classic comedy fans and performers, with exceptionally high standards in their approach to their work. The original performers are lauded and the Galton and Simpson scripts are treated with the utmost respect. Audiences really appreciate that extra time and effort.”
The production will see the actors John Hewer, Luke Adamson and Colin Elmer returning to play Tony Hancock, Sidney James and Kenneth Williams respectively. They will be joined by Iona as Hattie Jacques and Hattie Chapman as Liz Fraser.
Commemorating 100 years of Tony Hancock, and 70 years of Hancock’s Half Hour, it’s time to take a trip to 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam and join Kenneth, Hattie, Sid and ‘The Lad Himself’ for three classic episodes of this ground-breaking, timeless comedy.
Jamie’s Reaction
What a delight! I love it when theatre and television history combine. Especially when it gives fans and newcomers alike the chance to experience lost episodes of a television classic. The writing of Galton and Simpson has a timeless quality, still evident when new actors take on their classic characters.
I’m hoping to see this at some point in the run, as I’ve heard great things from reviewers on the Tony Hancock fan group.
Why is classic comedy going through a renaissance?
The production will see the actors John Hewer and Colin Elmer returning to play Tony Hancock and Kenneth Williams respectively.
Commemorating 100 years of Tony Hancock, and 70 years of Hancock’s Half Hour, it’s time to take a trip to 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam and join Kenneth, Hattie, Sid and ‘The Lad Himself’ for three classic episodes of this ground-breaking, timeless comedy.
John Hewer, co-producer and performer of Tony Hancock, details reasons of the show’s longevity: “There’s still a little piece of Anthony Aloysius St. John Hancock in all of us (though we may not always admit to it), and also, that his style/brand of comedy is inherent to us. Secondly, his is the best example, in my opinion, of the perfect marriage between a performer and their writer/s. Galton and Simpson captured not only a resonant, comical snapshot of post-war Britain, they also picked up on Hancock’s natural performance idiocies.”
John, who is recreating the role of Tony Hancock here, and has a track record of imitating comedy icons such as Tommy Cooper, Spike Milligan and Frankie Howerd, adds: “As a performer, you want to be meticulous. We cannot bring Tony, Sid, Hattie, Kenneth and Liz back to life, but we can honour their genius, and Ray’s and Alan’s, with these affectionate revivals of these golden, ageless scripts, and, hopefully, extend the legacy to younger audiences and the next generation. There will always be a part of any individual performer which you cannot mask, and it would be unwise not to admit and accept that. The audiences are equally savvy. However, it’s that shared mutual love that makes these revivals such a pleasure to both perform and to witness, and I’m extremely proud to be recreating Hancock, and bringing these particular episodes, lost from the archive, to life, for the very first time since the original broadcasts in 1956 and 1957.”
The three episodes recreated in the show are:
The Bequest (Series 1, Episode 4)
Uncle Obadiah leaves Hancock a fortune provided that he gets married, so Hancock belligerently seeks the help of the questionable Sid James Marriage Bureau!
The Russian Prince (Series 2, Episode 3)
Hancock bumps his head and suffers from temporary amnesia. Whilst he is unable to remember who he is, Sid persuades Hancock that he is Prince Nicolai, the last heir to the Russian Royal Family’s fortune… but there are others making the same claim!!
The Auction (Series 2, Episode 6)
Sid and Hancock decide to auction off their property to pay for a trip to Monte Carlo to try out Sid’s infallible roulette system. But they discover that the stuffed eagle had been stuffed with banknotes!
Tour Schedule
Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th September
Leicester Square Theatre, LONDON
Friday 20th September
Wharf Theatre, DEVIZES
Saturday 21st September
Forum Theatre, MALVERN
Sunday 22nd September
East Riding Theatre, BEVERLEY
Monday 23rd September
Phoenix Theatre, BAWTRY
Tuesday 24th September
Mercury Theatre, COLCHESTER
Friday 27th September
Public Hall, BECCLES
Saturday 28th September
Jubilee Hall, ALDEBURGH
Sunday 29th September
Players Theatre, THAME
Monday 30th September
City Varieties, LEEDS
Tuesday 1st October
Grand Theatre, BLACKPOOL
Wednesday 2nd October
Miners’, AMMANFORD
Thursday 3rd October
Assembly Rooms, LUDLOW
Monday 7th October
Arts Centre, BRIDPORT
Wednesday 9th October
Town Hall, LAUNCESTON
Thursday 10th October
Hanger Farm Arts Centre, TOTTON
Friday 11th October
The Hawth, CRAWLEY
Saturday 12th October
Astor Theatre, DEAL
Sunday 13th October
Sarah Thorne Theatre, BROADSTAIRS
Wednesday 16th October
Assembly Rooms, LINCOLN
Thursday 17th October
Mill Arts Centre, BANBURY
Friday 18th October
Quay Theatre, SUBDURY
Sunday 20th October
Millgate Arts Centre, DELPH
Sunday 3rd November
Theatre, CHELMSFORD
Tuesday 5th November
Playhouse, NORWICH
Wednesday 6th November
Brewhouse, BURTON UPON TRENT
Friday 8th November
Berry Theatre, HEDGE END
Saturday 9th November
Guildhall Arts Centre, GRANTHAM
Sunday 10th November
Opera House, BUXTON
Tuesday 12th November
Playhouse, CHELTENHAM
Wednesday 13th November
Palace Theatre, PAIGNTON
Thursday 14th November
Tivoli Theatre, WIMBORNE
Friday 15th November
Library Theatre, LEIGHTON BUZZARD
Saturday 16th November
Arts Centre, STAMFORD
Sunday 17th November
Riverhead Theatre, LOUTH
Monday 18th November
Lantern Theatre, SHEFFIELD
Tuesday 19th November
Playhouse, WHITLEY BAY
Saturday 23rd November
Loretto School Theatre, MUSSELBURGH
Wednesday 27th November
Playhouse, ALNWICK
Thursday 28th November
Town Hall, SKIPTON
Friday 29th November
Old Laundry Theatre, WINDERMERE
